Mitbegründer der terroristischen Rote Armee Fraktion (RAF)
Andreas Baader was one of the founders and the namesake leader of the far-left terrorist organisation Rote Armee Fraktion (RAF), which shook West Germany with an unprecedented campaign of violence during the 1970s. Born in München in 1943, he rose from a rebellious dropout to become the most wanted terrorist in the Federal Republic. He died in his cell at Stammheim prison on 18 October 1977 in what official investigations concluded was suicide.
Early Life and Radicalisation
Andreas Baader was born on 6 May 1943 in München and grew up in the post-war years. His father was killed in the Second World War, and Baader was raised by his mother and grandmother. As a young man he stood out for his rebellious behaviour, dropped out of school and moved through artistic and oppositional circles in West Berlin.
During the 1960s Baader drifted into the orbit of the student protest movement. His political radicalisation accelerated when he met Gudrun Ensslin, who would become his partner and closest accomplice. Together they came to believe that only armed resistance against what they called the "imperialist system" of the Federal Republic could bring about meaningful change.
The Department Store Arson Attacks of 1968
On 2 April 1968, Baader and Ensslin, together with Thorwald Proll and Horst Söhnlein, carried out arson attacks on two department stores in Frankfurt. The attacks were intended as a statement against the Vietnam War and became the spark that ignited left-wing terrorism in Germany. Fortunately no one was killed, though the material damage was considerable.
Following his arrest, Baader was sentenced to three years in prison. In June 1969 he was released early, but rather than serve the remainder of his sentence he went underground. That flight marked the beginning of his career as the Federal Republic's most wanted terrorist.
The Founding of the RAF and the Baader Liberation
On 14 May 1970, the spectacular Baader-Befreiung took place, in which Ulrike Meinhof and several accomplices violently freed Baader from custody. During the operation an institute employee was seriously injured. That day is regarded as the founding date of the Rote Armee Fraktion, which later became widely known as the Baader-Meinhof-Gruppe.
In the years that followed, the group carried out numerous bank robberies, bomb attacks and murders. Baader emerged as the charismatic but also authoritarian leader of the organisation. His personality was defined by a propensity for violence, ruthlessness and an absolute refusal to compromise with the "system".
